Comments on The Other Yoga: Armageddon

I can not understand why "conservative Christians"...

2009-07-19T16:12:02.743-07:00

I can not understand why "conservative Christians" play any role since Jesus of Nazereth was neither Conservative nor Christian. Joshua bin Joseph, a better English translation of his name, was a Jewish sage. No one really knows who John of Pathos was, but it seems clear that eh was writing about the Roman Empire.

Armageddon is a future battle where In the book of...

2007-10-08T00:54:00.000-07:00

Armageddon is a future battle where In the book of Revelation, a world leader (The Antichrist)with a host of world armies will invade Israel starting at mount Megiddo & ending in Jerusalem. Armageddon is a Greek transliteration of the word Har Megiddo. First Israel must make a 7 year treaty with many(Daniel 9:25)Some Bible versions say a week but a prophetic week equals 7 years,each day for a year). 7 years later the invasion comes. Israel will nearly be wiped out, then they will call out to their messiah that they are waiting for(Jesus). Jesus will destroy all these armies and a massive earthquake followed by heavy hailstones willdestroy them also.The Same battle is written in the old Testament zechariah 14:2 "I will gather all nations against jerusalem" It is also In Ezekiel Chapter 38 where "Gog & Magog" (ancient scythians- now Russia ) will invade Israel.
Half way into the 7 year treaty the Antichrist will enter the jerusalem temple(not yet built- but Jews are trying to rebuild this temple, since it was destroyed 2000 years ago)He will claim to be God and force everyone to have a number 666 (barcode, microchip). Those who accept it will be forever damned, but those who don't (Christians & Jews) will not be able to buy or sell (Revelations 13: 16-18). This is why conservative Christians will never accept any mark. Knowing that the end will come Christians would want to preach Christ, not wanting anyone to be damned, rather than being on a path of self destruction.

I really can't comment about yoga too much because...

2006-09-06T20:03:00.000-07:00

I really can't comment about yoga too much because I am totally ignorant of it. Practicing nonviolence wherever one goes does seem, however, to be a law that cannot be fulfilled. It really depends on how one parses the definition of nonviolence. If nonviolence is an action, to what degree do you take it? Does it include driving down the road and having bugs splat on your windshield? I'm not trying to be polemical, just pointing out that if that is how one lives, then one fails before one starts.

The message of Christianity is similar to that way of thinking. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus totally ratchets up the demand of the Law. He says anger is the same as murder in God's eyes. Lustful thoughts are the same as adultery in God's eyes. Matthew 5:48 says one is to be perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect.

This is not an attempt by Jesus to be a fundy. What he is doing is measuring the gulf between God and man. He is an "alien" (like on The Day the Earth Stood Still) who declares what is not popular. Man has a condition of wanting to be God. He is en curvatas (curved in on his navel and worshipping it).

The herald of truth then becomes the perfect offering and propitiation by falling into the hands of those He offended (us). So, Christianity is not about a progressive improvement or movement to God-consciousness. It is about being forgiven in the very state we are in (and cannot alter) due to the work of the God Himself 2,000 years ago.

The picture is that of Raskolnikov in Crime and Punishment. Raskolnikov butchers this woman who happens to be the only friend of this girl who loves him. She finally finds out that it was he who did it, but follows him to Siberia in order to marry him. The complete opposite reaction to what he deserved. Grace. Unmerited favor. This is the message of Christianity.

NOTE: [Because of my ignorance of all things compu...

2006-08-20T16:24:00.000-07:00

NOTE: [Because of my ignorance of all things computer (I need to hire a ten-year-old to explain these things to me) I accidentally block ALL comments to my blog. The above is a comment from David Browder,
seminarian at Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry. I had to post it myself, but it is from him.]

David, thank you for that understanding and for the insight. I want to learn more, so please continue to contribute. The main thrust of my article was to look at the idea of rapture and Armageddon in a different light. I am happy to learn that the "left behind" beliefs have a short history.

I would argue that you know more about Yoga than you think. Yoga, in my belief is religion, but it is not A religion, although many yogis do fall into ideology, with issues of reincarnation and the Divine within (both of which I believe, but feel not important enough for a fulfilling life) I know you have experience similar things in Christianity. The Yogi's goal is not to achieve enlightenment. It is to practice non-violence whether it is in the world or with oneself. How that is done raises many questions that, like Christianity, takes a life-time to understand.

I believe that the main goal of Christianity is the life-long pursuit, in practice, of love (agape - ἀγάπη), not the intellectual alignment with an ideology.

Thanks again.

John, I enjoy your blog although I don't know the ...

2006-08-20T15:14:00.000-07:00

John, I enjoy your blog although I don't know the first thing about yoga ;-) I do know a little about Christianity (being that I am one myself) and there are a few comments I have.

First, I think it is incredibly difficult to personify "right-wing Christians." I really don't know what that means. I think when someone outside of Christianity thinks of Christians, their reactions vary. If one is heavily involved in more Liberal political causes, there is a reaction in a certain political way. If one is a Muslim, there is a reaction against the doctrine of the Trinity and the idea of God on the cross. It varies down the line.

For those of the more political and secular persuasion, there seems to be a stereotype (not their fault, it's just the kind they see on TV) of the anti-intellectual hillbilly who wants to throw out all Latinos and invade as many countries as possible (Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, Dobson, Ralph Reed, everyone on TBN, etc., etc.)

In my opinion, this person is missing a lot when they do not dig deeper to find such men as John Stott, J.I. Packer, Alister McGrath, and Gerhard Forde (among many others). There are also the great ones of the past like Augustine, Soren Kierkegaard, Blaise Pascal, Martin Luther, Thomas Aquinas, G.K. Chesterton, also among many others.

The fact of the matter is that Christianity would not have lasted 2,000 years if it were defined by the Falwells, Benny Hinns, and Robertsons. That must mean that there is something more to it. It must also be said that there are innumerable politically Liberal friends I have that are theologically orthodox (conservative).

Secondly (and shorter), the idea of the rapture is not held by the majority of Christendom. This idea of a rapture (and therefore the placing of Israel on special status)is called pre-millenial dispensationalism (or sensationalism, as some of us snobs from the Reformation call it) and it was created in the late 19th century to the best of my recollection.

Most of Christendom is amillenial (no rapture or literal 1,000 year reign). This includes official doctrine in the Lutheran, Calvinist, Anglican, Catholic, and Orthodox expressions. Only the revivalist-types believe in the "left behind" sort of stuff. Apparently they are powerful politically (which is unfortunate due to their misunderstanding of Scripture and misguided emphasis on moralism). This is a huge problem in Christianity that hopefully will be corrected by some groups that are trying to do just that.

Anyway, this is just something to consider wherever you hang your hat politically or theologically.